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Understanding the hierarchy of referral rates in AffiliateWP is crucial for effectively managing and optimizing your affiliate program. This guide outlines the order in which different referral rates take precedence, from the global referral rate to more specific rates applied through add-ons like Lifetime Commissions and Recurring Referrals. Knowing this hierarchy will help you configure your settings accurately to ensure the correct referral rate is applied in various scenarios.
Global Referral Rate
The global referral rate is the baseline rate applied to all referrals. This rate is defined in AffiliateWP » Settings » Commissions and applies unless other more specific rates are configured. It’s the foundation upon which all other referral rates are built.
Per-Category Referral Rates
Per-category referral rates are available for WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads integrations. When set, these rates will override the global referral rate but only for the products within that specific category. This allows you to tailor commission rates based on product categories, offering more control over your affiliate program.
If a product belongs to multiple categories, AffiliateWP will use the referral rate from the first category in the list, based on alphabetical order. For example, if a product is in the categories “Books” (0%) and “Comics” (20%), the “Books” rate will be used because it comes first alphabetically.
Per-Product Referral Rates
Per-product referral rates offer even more granular control. When you define a referral rate for a specific product (by editing the product), this rate will override both the global and per-category referral rates. This feature is available in integrations that support per-product referral rates, such as WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads.
Tiered Affiliate Rates
If you’re using the Tiered Affiliate Rates add-on, affiliates can earn higher rates as they reach certain referral or earnings thresholds. Once an affiliate reaches a threshold, all future referrals are recorded at the next tiered rate, which overrides global, per-category, and per-product rates for that affiliate.
Per-Affiliate Referral Rate
A per-affiliate rate is set on the Edit Affiliate screen and applies specifically to that affiliate, overriding the global, per-category, per-product, and tiered rates. However, this rate does not override Lifetime Commissions, Affiliate Product Rates, or Recurring Referral rates on renewal payments.
Affiliate Product Rates
With the Affiliate Product Rates addon, you can set specific referral rates for individual affiliates and products in the Edit Affiliate » Product Rates screen. These rates override all others except for those applied through Lifetime Commissions or Recurring Referrals on renewal payments.
Affiliate Groups
If you assign a referral rate to an affiliate group in AffiliateWP » Affiliates » Groups, this rate will override all previously mentioned rates. However, rates set by the Lifetime Commissions and Recurring Referrals add-ons will still take precedence over group rates.
Lifetime Commissions
The Lifetime Commissions add-on links a customer to an affiliate for all future purchases, applying the global Lifetime Referral Rate defined in AffiliateWP » Settings » Lifetime Commissions. If a per-affiliate Lifetime Referral Rate is set, it overrides the global rate. The Lifetime Referral Rate will take precedence over all other rates for single purchases, but recurring payments are handled by the Recurring Referrals add-on.
Recurring Referrals
The Recurring Referrals add-on handles all subsequent referrals after the initial purchase for subscription payments. The hierarchy for recurring referral rates is as follows:
- Global Recurring Referral Rate: Set in AffiliateWP » Settings » Recurring Referrals.
- Product Recurring Referral Rates: These rates are specific to the integration you are using, like WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads.
- Tiered Affiliate Rates: When enabled in AffiliateWP » Settings » Recurring Referrals, tiered rates can also apply to recurring referrals.
- Affiliate Recurring Referral Rate: Defined on the Edit Affiliate screen, this rate applies to all recurring payments for that affiliate.
- Affiliate Recurring Referral Rate Per Product: Set in the Edit Affiliate » Recurring Product Rates section, this allows for specific recurring rates per product and is supported by integrations like WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads.
That’s it! By understanding and correctly configuring the hierarchy of referral rates in AffiliateWP, you can ensure that the appropriate rate is applied in every scenario, whether it’s a global setting or a more specific rate determined by add-ons like Tiered Affiliate Rates or Recurring Referrals. This structured approach helps you manage your affiliate program more effectively, optimizing earnings for your affiliates and ensuring consistent application of your referral strategies.